Swan of the Moors
by inkheart9459
Summary: Emma knew she made a mistake from the moment she brought Regina to the Moors. What was she thinking, casting a curse on such a pure soul? Now she races to the palace, Daniel in tow, hoping that he can save Regina as she has failed the girl in every way possible.


prompt from giftofamber on tumblr: "Sleeping Beauty AU for Swan Queen w/Emma riding to Regina's rescue. Not because of the 'butch' thing, but because it would be nice to have a Latina version of 'Aurora'." I really love both once and Maleficent. So this was like. Giving me tickets to disneyland. So, I hope that it's enjoyable for all y'all as it was for me to write.

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><p>Emma knew she had made a mistake. She'd known it from the moment that she had brought Regina into the Moors and the girl's face had lit up in innocent wonder. She had always been a pure human, the one that she had thought Neal to be years ago. She swallowed hard even thinking the name. She was simultaneously angry and glad that Regina's father had killed Neal for her wings all those years ago.<p>

But those were memories past now and they would do her no good. What baffled her was why, as soon as she realized that Regina was truly a good soul, why she hadn't started trying to remove the curse she put on the girl sooner. It confused her even further why she didn't start looking for a solution when she further realized that Regina might mean something…more to her.

But she hadn't. And now that was coming back to bite her. The boy she had floating behind her as she rode Diaval hard and fast towards the palace as the sunset was the only hope she had. Daniel. The name hurt her almost as much as Neal's name. She did not want her Regina to be in love with another, but at the same time she wanted nothing more as long as the love would keep Regina safe.

"Come _on, _Diaval!" She kicked his sides faster. The horse below her huffed angrily even as he sped up. Diaval could be as angry as he wanted with her, but she gods she was going to get there before Regina pricked her finger on that spindle if it killed both of them. Then she wouldn't have to use the boy and all her problems would be gone.

As long as Regina could forgive her, that was. Her face, anguished and so very, very angry, as she had run from Emma still sent a large bolt of pain through the fairy. How could she ever be so naïve? She should have told the girl from the start, but she couldn't bear it. She had tried so many times, but she couldn't stand the thought of losing Regina. And she had been so very sure that she would lose her if she told her. Now, she wondered if she had been honest if their relationship couldn't have been salvaged rather easily.

So many years alive and she was still a complete and utter idiot.

Even the word idiot brought tears to her eyes. She was supposed to be Regina's idiot. Now she wasn't even that.

The land disappeared underneath them. Miles and miles eaten by Diaval's long gate, but Emma knew she was going to be far too late. Diaval going as fast as he could, could not out run the sun moving celestially fast through space and sinking far too quickly past the horizon. By the time they arrived at the palace it was dark and the pain reached a new level. She would have to use the boy after all then.

It was of no matter. Regina would be safe and that's what she would think of in the long run. She waved her hands and suddenly the stomping horse beside her was Diaval in his human form. He bent over and clutched his knees, trying to regain his breath.

Emma herself looked at the iron cage that the palace had been encased in. She swallowed. That bloody bastard Neal had been the worst thing that had happened to her and there was solid proof of it in front of her. The stubs of her wings ached in confirmation of the fact.

Diaval looked up. "Bloody hell, how are we going to get past that?"

Emma swallowed hard. There had to be a way through it, no one stayed trapped in the palace. She walked forward, the boy floating behind her as always and started to pick her way through so very carefully, Diaval coming up behind, not saying a word about how dangerous this was for Emma. He knew just as well as she did that Regina was worth dying for, even in the most painful way possible.

They progressed slowly, but it was obvious that the guards were not expecting her to come through the mass of iron, at least not so directly. She secreted herself down the corridors with Diaval behind. The two guards they did find were easy enough to dispatch. Humans always did have a bad habit of not looking above them. And then it was easily on to Regina's rooms within the palace.

Bile rose in her throat as she hid behind a statue and dropped the prince outside of Regina's door. This was it. Regina would get carried off into her happy ending and she would have no more time for Emma and the Moors, yet again being left by another person she cared about. She fisted her hands in the black clothing she wore and held her breath.

The door opened as those three little twit fairies opened the door and simpered over the prince as if he were the gods gift to man. But she supposed, since a great deal of the simpering was because he could save Regina, then she would stand it for now.

But Mary Margret was going to get on her nerves no matter what. Blue wasn't much better. Nova was the only one she could stand when they lived in the Moors. If this all worked out and Regina was safe she had no idea if she would let them back in or not. They, after all, had helped this to happen.

She didn't want to watch this, as the small fairies drug the boy in. But she found her feet carrying her forward without conscious thought. She slipped in just as the door was about to shut, Diaval right behind as always. If Regina wasn't allowed for her by the universe then perhaps she could love the crow.

She glanced back at him. He was rather handsome in a way. But, no, he was her friend and companion. Romantically he did nothing for her. If she was not allowed Regina then that would be it for her. She had been hurt too much by love to make another go of it.

Daniel approached Regina's bed hesitantly. He was a prince and gentleman in every way, expressing concern that he would be kissing Regina without her permission. If Emma was going to lose her to a human and to the human world as a consequence then at least it was to someone who was decent.

Then the fairies had convinced him to kiss Regina and Emma closed her eyes, truly unable to watch now as Regina was ripped from her. It wasn't even that Regina would be ripped from her. Regina would willingly leave, and that hurt so much worse.

She waited behind closed eyelids to hear the sound of Regina's voice, the husky, rough, voice she used just waking up that made Emma's insides turn to mush. But it never came.

Her eyes blinked open and there Regina was still on the bed with a baffled prince at her side and three very flustered fairies. Mary Margret latched onto the boy's ear and started to drag him from the room, talking ninety miles an hour about other solutions, other princes that could be tried to wake Regina up and other harebrained schemes while Nova and Blue followed them out.

Emma stepped from behind the screen that had hidden her during the ordeal. Her stomach was in knots, her heart in her throat. It had hurt to think that Daniel would sweep Regina off into human land and provide her with everything that Emma wanted to provide for the girl, but it hurt even more to know that Regina no longer would be in the world, forever sleeping in this room instead of being young and vibrant somewhere, lighting up people's lives.

She reached Regina's bedside and started down at the peaceful face, her tan skin beautiful in the firelight, her brown hair falling around her in loose waves making her look like a sleeping angel. Her heart hurt so badly that she thought she would die right there.

"Regina," she breathed out, word soaked in pain. She could feel Diaval across the room, just beside the screen, not bothering to intrude any further on the moment, but she could feel his pain as well and it made hers ten times worse. Oh, what had she done?

"Regina, I _am_ the idiot that you said I was. I was that and so much more. I hurt so many and that on its own is bad enough, but I hurt you. And that is truly what I won't be able to forgive myself for. Watching you on the Moors I vowed that no harm would come to you." She snorted, sound somehow filled with an immense about of suffering. "Funny, isn't it, how the person to hurt you is me. I don't think you could ever forgive me for that and I'm not sure I would even want you to, not when I know that it's my fault that your smiling face won't be in the world anymore."

She took Regina's hand and squeezed it gently. Her skin was still warm, still looked so good in hers, tan skin and white clashing in a strangely right way.

"I'm sorry that I'm so stupid, that I was so hell bent on vengeance that I didn't stop to think for one stupid little moment. I really am an idiot. I think I always have been, but all I want to be is your idiot." She placed Regina's hand gently back on the bed and leaned forward. She laid a kiss on Emma's forehead and pulled back. "And most of all I'm sorry my love has caused everyone such pain."

She turned to leave. There was nothing left for her here now.

"Emma?" A rough voice called for her. Regina's voice.

Emma whipped around to see a smiling Regina reclining on her bed. Tears started to slip from her eyes. Oh. Oh gods. She couldn't even think straight about anything in the moment besides the fact that Regina was awake a smiling at her.

"Did you mean it? Do you love me?" The look of hope and absolutely pure innocence on Regina's face was heartrending and life affirming all at once.

"I did. I really did."

Regina's smile was blinding. "Good."

Emma walked back to Regina's bedside. Regina pushed herself up gently, testing out her limbs again and finding them completely in working order. She crawled over to Emma and draped her arms around Emma, hugging the fairy to her hard. Emma sighed heavily, almost a sob, wrapping her arms around Regina and hugging her back with just as much strength.

Diaval stepped forward. "I hate to ruin the moment, but, uh, we are kind of in the enemy's layer."

Emma shook herself. Diaval was right. She separated herself gently from Regina and helped her down from the bed. "Come, we'll have much to talk about later, but for now we need to get you to safety."

They all rushed from the room on hushed feet, descending the stairs quickly.

"Does this mean I get to come live in the Moors with you now?" Regina asked in a hushed voice.

Emma's heart beat just a little bit faster. "If that's what you want."

"It is."

Emma could imagine the girl's smile behind her and it filled her with a strange warmth that no magic could replicate. "Then yes, of course."

They hurried down the halls and through to the Great Room, almost home free. They weren't fast enough, however, Henry and his forces were there toting iron shields and weapons.

"Regina, run!"

"But—"

"GO!"

An iron net fell upon her, burning her and the agony was something she thought she would never recover from. Regina sent her a helpless look before shooting off before her father's troops could react and grab her. Emma let herself close her eyes for just a second at that. At least Regina would be safe.

Her eyes blinked open again. But in order to ensure that she had to fight. She had to be free and she and Regina would live in the Moors happily ever after. She extended her hand and pointed at Diaval.

"Dragon."

The man morphed into a dragon and started wreaking havoc. Guards flew every which way while Emma tried not to move too much. Movement only intensified the pain. She felt like going to sleep so badly what was she going to do.

But then Diaval had blown through enough soldiers to grab the iron net and yank it away from her. She stood up shakily and looked around. Soldiers were rushing her and her body was in so much pain she could not focus clearly. She tried to run, but there were soldiers there with iron shields, glowing hot with her proximity. She turned and tried to run the other way but they were there as well. She looked around her again. She was trapped.

She blinked her bleary vision. Diaval. She looked over at him, but the soldiers were finally getting a hold on him, iron chains wrapped every which way around him. She swallowed hard. She had to keep fighting, but how when her head was filled with cotton and her vision was filled with fog. It didn't matter. She would fight for Regina.

The shields parted for just a second, letting in Henry, Regina's father, standing tall in a suit of armor that was rather horrifying. He smiled at her, eyes sparking with insanity. She had known that the man had not been stable, but she did not know how unstable he had become until now. Then again, why did she expect anyone who murdered in cold blood for a pair of detached wings to be even slightly sane?

"Abomination," he said, still smiling.

"I think that's relative. From where I'm standing it's you who is the abomination."

He shrugged and lashed out, iron flail and chain wrapping around her leg. She screamed and lunged for him. She threw what little magic she could muster at him, but it was barely enough to knock him over. Everything in her body was devoted to healing her. He pulled the chain and she on her back on the ground with him standing over her.

She scrambled up onto her hands and knees but that was all the father she got. The world was spinning far too dangerously. She needed to fight, needed to fight...needed… Her eyes drifted shut.

Her body shot up, and another bolt of pain shot through her, but it was the pain of a limb fallen asleep finally waking up again. She blinked and blinked again. It couldn't be, but then she was flapping her wings and flying up and over the iron circle of shields. Her wings. She had them back. She had no idea how, but they were there and she couldn't be more thankful.

She flew quickly and snapped the chains holding Diaval and the dragon was up again and causing havoc. She smiled to herself, hovering in the air for just a second too long. The chain was wrapped around her leg and she was, falling, falling. She hit the ground hard right in front of the giant stained glass window.

Henry was on her in a second, that insane smile now morphed into something completely deranged. Emma sat up quickly, body back to a sliver of its normal self, but that was enough. Her magic shot out and hit him straight in the chest, but he kept coming, unsheathing his sword with all the relish of someone thoroughly enjoying the experience.

"You've been a menace to my kingdom for far too long." He raised his sword.

Emma raised her hand to shoot him backwards.

They were both interrupted by a cry. "Father, no!"

Henry turned around and saw Regina standing there, pale blue dress ripped and singed, hair falling wildly down her back. He looked her over for one second, eyes barely registering a recognition of who was in front of him before he turned back to Emma and started to swing.

A bolt of energy hit him both. Emma gasped at the feel of it, warm in the exact way that Regina made her. It lifted them both and blew them back, out the stained glass window in a haze of colored shards. Emma's wings unfurled naturally after a second of shock, suspending her in the air. Henry kept falling and falling towards the forest far below.

Emma had a split second to consider before she was diving after him. He may be insane, but he was Regina's father. She caught up to him in a second, still a great ways from the ground below. She sighed and started to flap her wings powerfully to bring them both back into the palace.

But then there was iron searing into her hand and she couldn't keep her grip. She looked down to see Henry, the gauntlet on his other hand pressing into her skin searing it, still ever smiling at her even as her hand let go and he fell and fell. By the time she recovered from the shock of it, she knew there would be no time to dive and rescue him. She cringed as he hit the ground.

She stared for a long moment at his twisted body before managed to make her wings fly her back to the palace and in through the stained glass window. Diaval was still there in dragon form sitting patiently. The soldiers were scattered throughout the room in various state of injury, none were trying to attack anymore. Regina was standing right at the window ledge looking at her father's body so very far below.

"You tried to save him," she said quietly.

Emma wrapped on of her wings around her. "Of course I did."

"Not of course, idiot. He tried to kill you, yet you still tried to save him." Regina looked at her, wide brown eyes confused and older than they had been even hours before.

"It's what you would have done and I want to be better for you."

"You already were better, Emma. You just don't see it." Her hands came up to stroke at the feathers of Emma's wings. "I'm glad I was able to return these to you."

"You did?"

Regina nodded. "I found them fluttering around in a case in one of the rooms. When I released them they went straight to you."

As if Emma couldn't love the girl any more, then she went and returned her beloved wings to her. "Thank you," her voice was quiet and heavy with all the things she couldn't quite say in the moment.

"Can we go home now?" Regina asked, stepping away from the window, shoes crunching on the shattered glass around her.

"Of course." She waved her hand and Diaval was a crow once more. "Do you mind if we take a rather faster way there? After this I want out of human territory as quickly as possible."

Regina nodded and Emma stepped towards her, wrapping the girl up tightly in her arms and flapping her wings again. They were airborne and flying within second, the ground flashing by underneath them. Diaval crowed, triumphant. Emma shot him a small smile over a head of dark brown hair. She agreed. Yes, there would be things to talk about, her feelings towards Regina and vice versa, all the things that Emma had done in her quest of vengeance, and Regina's apparent magical abilities, but those things could wait for now. Regina was in her arms and safe and that was good enough.


End file.
